Case for head-mounted device

ABSTRACT

A case for a head-mounted device includes a body portion and a power supply. The body portion includes one or more walls defining an interior cavity that is configured to receive and house the head-mounted device. The power supply is included in the body portion for transferring power to the head-mounted device.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A head-mounted device is an electronic device that typicallycommunicates with other devices or networks. In some situations thehead-mounted device is a wearable device that is configured to operateinteractively with a user. A head-mounted device may be designed tosupport a variety of form factors, such as Augmented Reality (AR)glasses, Virtual Reality (VR) glasses, or activity tracking/personalassistant glasses, content creation glasses, audio glasses just to namea few.

Head-mounted devices may include one or more electronic components foruse in a variety of applications, such as gaming, aviation, engineering,medicine, entertainment, video/audio chat, activity tracking, and so on.However, due to the compact form factor often associated withhead-mounted devices, the head-mounted device may include limitedresources, such as limited processing power, limited memory, limitedbattery life, limited wireless bandwidth, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention aredescribed with reference to the following figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various viewsunless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example operating environment for a head-mounteddevice and a case, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example system that includes a head-mounteddevice and a case, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 2D illustrate various views of the case of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example block diagram of a case, in accordancewith aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a flow chart illustrating an example process performed by acase for a head-mounted device, in accordance with aspects of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative form factor for a case, in accordancewith aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example alternative form factor for a case,in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of a portable case for a head-mounted device are describedherein. In the following description, numerous specific details are setforth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the techniquesdescribed herein can be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In otherinstances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shownor described in detail to avoid obscuring certain aspects.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, theappearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” invarious places throughout this specification are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, FIG. 1 illustrates an exampleoperating environment 100 for a case 108 that is configured as aportable carrying case for a head-mounted device 112. In some examples,head-mounted device 112 is configured to be worn on the head of a user.The head-mounted device 112 may be activity tracking/personal assistantglasses that may include one or more cameras to capture video or photos,and audio of the environment. In other examples, the head-mounted device112 may be configured to provide artificial reality content to a user.Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in somemanner before presentation to the user, which may include, e.g., virtualreality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), hybridreality, or some combination and/or derivative thereof.

In the illustrated example, head-mounted device 112 is shown asincluding a frame 113A, temple arms 113B, near-eye optical elements113C, and cameras 113D. Cameras 113D are shown as coupled to frame 113A.In some examples, the near-eye optical element 113C may include one ormore optical components, such as a polarizer, a waveguide, reflector, awaveplate, a lens (e.g., prescription lens), one or more in-fieldillumination sources, a diffractive optical element, a display layer,and so on.

As shown in FIG. 1 , frame 113A is coupled to temple arms 113B forsecuring the head-mounted device 112 to the head of a user. Examplehead-mounted device 112 may also include supporting hardwareincorporated into the frame 113A and/or temple arms 113B. The hardwareof head-mounted device 112 may include any of processing logic, wiredand/or wireless data interfaces for sending and receiving data, graphicprocessors, and one or more memories for storing data andcomputer-executable instructions, speakers and microphones. In oneexample, head-mounted device 112 may be configured to receive wiredpower and/or may be configured to be powered by one or more batteries.In addition, head-mounted device 112 may be configured to receive wiredand/or wireless data including video data.

FIG. 1 illustrates near-eye optical elements 113C that are mounted tothe frame 113A. In some examples, near-eye optical elements 113C mayappear transparent to the user to facilitate augmented reality or mixedreality such that the user can view visible scene light from theenvironment while also receiving display light directed to their eye(s)by way of a display layer. In further examples, the transparent natureof some or all of the near-eye optical elements 113C allows the user toview an electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), anorganic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a micro-LED display, etc.)that may be incorporated in the head-mounted device 112.

The display layer of the near-eye optical elements 113C may include oneor more other optical elements depending on the design of thehead-mounted device 112. For example, the display layer may include awaveguide to direct display light generated by an electronic display tothe eye of the user. In some implementations, at least a portion of theelectronic display is included in the frame 113A of the head-mounteddevice 112. The electronic display may include an LCD, an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) display, micro-LED display, pico-projector, orliquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display for generating the displaylight. The in-field light sources, if included in near-eye opticalelement 113C, may be configured to emit non-visible light to illuminatethe eye of a user for eye-tracking purposes.

FIG. 1 also illustrates a case 108 as operating in the environment 100.One function of case 108 is to house and protect the head-mounted device112 when the head-mounted device 112 is not being worn by a user. Forexample, the case 108 may include an interior cavity within which thehead-mounted device 112 may be placed to protect the head-mounted device112 from dirt, scratches, or other damage. In addition, case 108 may beconfigured to supplement, expand, and/or support many of the functionsprovided by the head-mounted device 112, itself. For example, asdiscussed above, due to its compact form factor, head-mounted device 112may include limited resources, such as limited battery life. Thus, insome examples, case 108 may include a power supply for charginghead-mounted device 112 while head-mounted device 112 is connected tothe case 108. Such a feature may extend the operational time of thehead-mounted device 112 by allowing the on-board batteries of thehead-mounted device 112 to be recharged while being stored in the case108, and thus reduce the number of occurrences where head-mounted device112 may need to be charged via a typical wall charger, or become theprimary method of charging.

In addition, case 108 may be configured to provide additional featuresfor supporting the operation of head-mounted device 112, such asproviding additional memory storage, processing, photo/video management,wireless bandwidth, antenna signal efficiency, 5G data link,calibration, etc. These and other features will be described in moredetail below.

Returning now to FIG. 1 , in certain implementations, case 108 may beconfigured to transmit radio signals to, and receive radio signals from,one or more wireless communication networks. In one example, case 108may communicate with a cellular communication network by transmittingwireless signals to, or receiving wireless signals from, a base stationtransceiver 110A over a wireless communication link 123. Such cellularcommunication networks may include, but are not limited to, standards inaccordance with GSM, CMDA, 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, 5G, etc. It should beunderstood that the digital cellular network may include additional basestations or other resources that may not be shown in FIG. 1 .

Similarly, case 108 may transmit wireless signals to, or receivewireless signals from a local transceiver 115 over a wirelesscommunication link 125. In some implementations, local transceiver 115may be configured to communicate with case 108 at a shorter range overwireless communication link 125 than at a range enabled by base stationtransceiver 110A over wireless communication link 123. For example,local transceiver 115 may be positioned in an indoor environment. Localtransceiver 115 may provide access to a wireless local area network(WLAN, e.g., IEEE Std. 802.11 network). In another exampleimplementation, local transceiver 115 may be a femto cell transceivercapable of facilitating communication on link 125 according to acellular communication protocol. Of course it should be understood thatthese are merely examples of networks that may communicate with case 108over a wireless link, and claimed subject matter is not limited in thisrespect.

In some implementations, base station transceivers 110A and 110B, aswell as local transceiver 115 may communicate with servers 140, 150 and155 over a network 130 through links 145. Here, network 130 may compriseany combination of wired or wireless links. In a particularimplementation, network 130 may comprise Internet Protocol (IP)infrastructure capable of facilitating communication between case 108and servers 140, 150 or 155 through local transceiver 115 or basestation transceiver 110A. In another implementation, network 130 maycomprise cellular communication network infrastructure such as, forexample, a base station controller or master switching center (notshown) to facilitate mobile cellular communication with case 108.

In some aspects, case 108 may receive or acquire satellite positioningsystem (SPS) signals 159 from SPS satellites 160. In some examples, SPSsatellites 160 may be from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS),such as the GPS or Galileo satellite systems. In other examples, the SPSSatellites may be from multiple GNSS' such as, but not limited to, GPS,Galileo, Glonass, or Beidou (Compass) satellite systems. In otherexamples, SPS satellites may be from any one of several regionalnavigation satellite systems (RNSS) such as, for example, Wide AreaAugmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation OverlayService (EGNOS), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), just to name afew examples.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, case 108 may be configured to establisha communication link 127 with head-mounted device 112 through one ormore communication interfaces (e.g., a Bluetooth interface, an RFantenna, a wired connection, etc.) that enable the case 108 to send andreceive data with the head-mounted device 112. Furthermore, anapplication program interface (API) that supports communication betweenthe case 108 and head-mounted device 112 may enable the transfer of suchdata. In some implementations, case 108 may be configured to communicatewith head-mounted device 112 at a shorter range over communication link127 than at a range enabled by local transceiver 115 over wirelesscommunication link 125. For example, communication link 127 may be awireless personal area network (WPAN), such as IrDA, Wireless USB,Bluetooth, or ZigBee. Thus, in some implementations, the onlycommunications link established by the head-mounted device 112 may becommunication link 127 with the case 108. In this example, communicationlink 127 between the case 108 and the head-mounted device 112 may beestablished to omit the need for a phone or tablet for communicationbetween head-mounted device 112 and network 130. Instead, case 108 maybe configured as a hub for the transfer of content from network 130 tothe head-mounted device 112 and/or for the transfer of content from thehead-mounted device 112 to network 130.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example system 200 that includes head-mounteddevice 112 and a case 202, in accordance with aspects of the presentdisclosure. Case 202 is one possible implementation of case 108 of FIG.1 . The illustrated example of case 202 is shown as including a bodyportion 204 that comprises walls 206A-206D. The walls 206A-206D areconfigured to define an interior cavity 208. As shown in FIG. 2A, theinterior cavity 208 is configured to receive and house the head-mounteddevice 112. In some aspects, the interior cavity 208 is sized toaccommodate the size and shape of the head-mounted device 112. Forexample, the interior cavity 208 is shown as including a width 207, adepth 209, and a height 211. In some examples, width 207 is in the rangeof 120 mm to 220 mm, depth 209 is in the range of 60 mm to 90 mm, andheight 211 is in the range of 40 mm to 80 mm Although FIG. 2Aillustrates the body portion 204 as including four walls 206A-206D, bodyportion 204 may include any number of walls including one or more todefine the interior cavity 208. In some examples, body portion 204 andwalls 206A-206D are formed from a rigid or semi-rigid material, such asplastic. In addition, one or more of the interior surfaces 210 of thewalls 206A-206D may be lined with a soft, non-abrasive material, such asmicrofiber, fabric or suede, to protect and prevent scratches to theframe 113A and/or near-eye optical elements of head-mounted device 112.

In some aspects, the body portion 204 includes a power supply 212. Thepower supply 212 may be incorporated within or attached to at least oneof the walls 206A-206D (e.g., FIG. 2A illustrates power supply 212incorporated into wall 206B). Also shown in FIG. 2A is an electricalconnector 214. In some aspects, electrical connector 214 is coupled tothe power supply 212 and is configured to electrically connect the powersupply 212 to the head-mounted device 112 for transferring power to thehead-mounted device 112. In some examples, electrical connector 214 is aUSB, micro-USB, mini-USB, or other receptacle for mating with acorresponding plug of a cable that is to be connected to head-mounteddevice 112. In another example, electrical connector 214 is a dongle orcable that protrudes from the wall 206B into the interior cavity 208 toconnect with the head-mounted device 112 without the need for an extracable. In some examples, electrical connector 214 includes one or morepogo or other spring-loaded pins for directly mating with thehead-mounted device 112. Accordingly, during operation, head-mounteddevice 112 may be placed within interior cavity 208 and then connectedto electrical connector 214 to charge the internal batteries of thehead-mounted device 112. In yet another example, electrical connector214 includes, or is connected to, an inductive charging plate for thewireless charging of the head-mounted device 112. In this example, theinductive charging of the head-mounted device 112 by case 108 may beaccomplished in accordance with one or more wireless charging standards,such as provided by the Qi specification. Note that other wirelesscharging platforms are also possible and may be supported by case 108,such as wireless charging completed through radio frequency (RF) signals(and the like). In some examples, the power supply 212 may includeadditional circuitry, such as an over-current protection circuit,temperature sensitive charging control logic, and so on. In addition toproviding a mechanism for the transfer of power to head-mounted device112, in some implementations, electrical connector 214 may also beutilized for establishing a wired communications link between the case108 and the head-mounted device 112 (e.g., communications link 127).

In some examples, head-mounted device 112 includes one or more cameras113D. The cameras 113D may be included in the frame 113A to captureimages of the environment. The position of the cameras 113D may be fixedand at a known location with respect to one another and/or with respectto one or more other components of the head-mounted device 112. Theimages obtained by the cameras 113D, along with their known locations,may be utilized by the head-mounted device 112 in a variety of contexts,such with capturing stereoscopic images, determining a pose of thehead-mounted device 112, rendering a virtual graphic for augmentedreality, and so on. However, in some instances the cameras 113D maybecome out of alignment. For example, the frame 113A may warp or deformdue to heat, humidity, damage, or other stresses placed on the frame113A. Accordingly, in some aspects, the case 202 may include acalibration surface 216 used for the calibration of the cameras 113D ofhead-mounted device 112.

As shown in FIG. 2A, calibration surface 216 is disposed on wall 206A onthe interior surface 210. The calibration surface 216 is positioned suchthat it will be facing the cameras 113D within the interior cavity 208,while the head-mounted device 112 is disposed within the interior cavity208. In the particular example of FIG. 2A, wall 206A is a moveable lid,which when closed positions the calibration surface 216 in front of andfacing cameras 113D. The cameras 113D are then configured to capture thecalibration surface 216 and perform one or more image processingtechniques to determine the current position of one or more of thecameras 113D. The determined position of the cameras 113D may then beutilized to calibrate subsequent image acquisition by the head-mounteddevice 112. In some examples, the calibration surface 216 includes oneor more registration features 218 or other objects that are identifiablethrough the image processing techniques.

In some aspects, the calibration surface 216 is a label of a calibrationimage that is adhered to the interior surface 210. In another aspect,the calibration surface 216 is an image that is printed or etcheddirectly on the interior surface 210 of wall 206A. Although theillustrated example of case 202 is shown as including a singlecalibration surface 216 disposed on the interior surface 210 of wall206A, in other implementations, case 202 may include any number ofcalibration surfaces disposed one or more of the walls 206A, 206B, 206C,and/or 206D.

In a further example, calibration surface 216 may include one or moreillumination sources that are provided to illuminate or provide acalibration image themselves. For example, the calibration surface 216may include a backlight incorporated into the wall 206A to emit acalibration light. In another example, the illumination sources mayinclude one or more light pipes, or light tubes, that are arranged oninterior surface 210 to form a calibration image.

The calibration of the cameras 113D of head-mounted device 112 mayinvolve one or more calibration processes that are triggered by thehead-mounted device 112 being inserted into the case. For example, thecalibration process may be triggered a predetermined delay after thehead-mounted device 112 is placed within interior cavity 208. In oneimplementation, the case 202 may be configured to trigger thecalibration process based on IMU data that indicates that the case 108is stationary. In another implementation, exposure to dark environmentsmeasured by an ambient light sensor could be used to trigger thecalibration process (e.g., indicating it is nighttime). In anotherexample, the calibration process could also be manually triggered by theuser via one or more user interfaces.

In some examples, the calibration process includes capturing images ofthe calibration surface 216 by the cameras 113D and then calculatingcalibration parameters based on the captured images. The calibrationprocess may be performed by the head-mounted device 112, the case 202,servers 140, 150, 155, and/or any combination thereof.

In some implementations, the calibration surface 216 is configured andpositioned on the interior surface 210 of wall 206A, such that bothcameras 113D of the head-mounted device 112 have some overlappingfield-of-view, where both cameras capture at least some of the sameportion of the pattern (e.g., registration features 218) included in thecalibration surface 216. In another implementation, each camera 113D maybe calibrated separately, based on separate images captured by eachcamera that are then combined based on a predetermined knowledge ofwhich portion of the calibration surface 216 that each camera captured.In some aspects, the registration features 218 may include markers or QRcodes that identify the location and orientation of the calibrationsurface 216.

FIG. 2B illustrates a view of a front side of the case 202 when case 202is closed. In some examples, when case 202 is closed, the head-mounteddevice 112 is completely enveloped by the walls 206A-D within theinterior cavity 208. FIG. 2B illustrates the example case 202 asincluding an optional array 222 of photovoltaic cells (e.g., solarpanel) disposed on an exterior surface 220 of the wall 206A. The array222 is configured to convert solar energy into electrical power that isthen provided to the power supply 212 of FIG. 2A. The power collected bythe array 222 may be utilized to charge the internal batteries of case202 and/or to supplement the power provided to head-mounted device 112by way of power supply 212.

FIG. 2C illustrates a view of a back side of the case 202 when case 202is closed. In particular, FIG. 2C illustrates case 202 as includingadditional optional components, such as an electronic display 224, aspeaker 226, one or more user input devices 228 (e.g., buttons), and acamera 229 that are disposed on the exterior surface 220 of wall 206A.Electronic display 224 may include an LED, OLED, or other displaytechnology for displaying images and/or video, and a live stream of thecamera feed. In some examples, electronic display 224 is a touchscreenfor presenting images and for receiving user input via one or more touchgestures. The electronic display 224, speaker 226, user input devices228, and/or camera 229 may be utilized to supplement one or morefunctions of the head-mounted device 112. For example, images and/orvideo captured by the head-mounted device 112 may be presented on theelectronic display 224 for viewing by a user. Furthermore, user inputmay be received via the electronic display 224 and/or user input devices228 to allow a user to edit, tag, or otherwise modify the images/video.Even still, camera 229 may be utilized by the case 202 to capture imagesof the user and/or environment, and may also be used in conjunction withelectronic display 224 for a video-conferencing application.

In yet another aspect, the case 202 may be configured to operate as aremote control for the head-mounted device 112 while the head-mounteddevice 112 is in use (e.g., being worn by the user). For example, theuser input devices 228 could be configured to trigger the head-mounteddevice 112 to capture an image/video (e.g., user presses the button totrigger the camera 113D of the head-mounted device 112 to capture animage). In another example, the case 202 may include a motion sensor totrack movements, positions, and/or orientations of the case 202, itself,which may be utilized as user input by a game or other applicationexecuting on the head-mounted device 112. Even still, the case 202 mayexecute one or more native applications that augment the operation ofthe head-mounted device 112. For instance, the case 202 may execute asetup application to aid the user in setting up the head-mounted device112 (e.g., electronic display 224 may present instructions and receiveuser input for configuring the head-mounted device 112 by setting userpreferences, network settings, etc.). These and other features providedby the case 202 will be described in further detail below with referenceto FIG. 3 .

In some examples, one or more of the walls 206A-206D are foldable toreduce a profile of the case 202 while the head-mounted device 112 isnot being stored within the case 202. For example, FIG. 2D illustrates aview of case 202 when folded.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example block diagram of a case 300, inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Case 300 is onepossible implementation of any of the cases discussed herein, includingcase 108 of FIG. 1 and case 202 of FIGS. 2A-2D. In some examples, one ormore of the components of case 300 illustrated in FIG. 3A may beincorporated within, or attached to, one or more walls of a body portionof a case, such the walls 206A-206D.

The various features and functions illustrated in the diagram of FIG. 3Aare connected together using a common data bus 324 which is meant torepresent that these various features and functions are operativelycoupled together. Those skilled in the art will recognize that otherconnections, mechanisms, features, functions, or the like, may beprovided and adapted as necessary to operatively couple and configure anactual portable device. Further, it is also recognized that one or moreof the features or functions illustrated in the example of FIG. 3A maybe further subdivided or two or more of the features or functionsillustrated in FIG. 3A may be combined.

The case 300 may include one or more wireless transceivers 302 that maybe connected to one or more antennas 340. The wireless transceiver 302may include suitable devices, hardware, and/or software forcommunicating with and/or detecting signals to/from base stationtransceivers 110A, 110B, local transceiver 115, head-mounted device 112and/or directly with other wireless devices within a network. Forexample, the wireless transceiver 302 may comprise a CDMA communicationsystem suitable for communicating with a CDMA network of wireless basestations; however in other aspects, the wireless communication systemmay comprise another type of cellular telephony network, such as, forexample, TDMA, OFDMA or GSM. Additionally, any other type of wide areawireless networking technologies may be used, for example, WiMAX (IEEE802.16), etc. The wireless transceiver 302 may also include one or morelocal area network (LAN) transceivers that may be connected to one ormore antennas 340. For example, the wireless transceiver 302 may includesuitable devices, hardware, and/or software for communicating withand/or detecting signals to/from base station transceivers 110A, 110B,and/or directly with other wireless devices within a network. In oneaspect, the wireless transceiver 302 may include a Wi-Fi (802.11x)communication system suitable for communicating with one or morewireless access points; however in other aspects, the wirelesstransceiver 302 may comprise another type of local area network,personal area network, (e.g., Bluetooth). Additionally, any other typeof wireless networking technologies may be used, for example, Ultra WideBand, ZigBee, wireless USB, etc.

As shown in FIG. 3A, case 300 may optionally include a camera 304.Camera 304 may be a single monocular camera, a stereo camera, and/or anomnidirectional camera. In one aspect, camera 304 is calibrated suchthat the camera parameters (e.g., intrinsics and extrinsics; focallength, displacement of the optic center, radial distortion, tangentialdistortion, etc.) are known. Camera 304 is coupled to a control unit 310to provide images to the control unit 310. In some examples, camera 304is located on an exterior of the case 300, such that the camera 304 isfacing a user. In this example, the camera 304 may be utilized to enableon-the-go video-conferences in conjunction with an electronic display(e.g., electronic display 224).

The illustrated example of case 300 also includes an optional motionsensor 306. Motion sensor 306 may be coupled to control unit 310 toprovide movement and/or orientation information which is independent ofmotion data derived from signals received by the wireless transceiver302 and a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) transceiver 308. In someimplementations, the case 300 may be configured to function as a remotecontroller for use with the head-mounted device 112. For example, themotion sensor 306 may be configured to generate motion data that isrepresentative of one or more movements of the case 300. The wirelesstransceiver 302 may then be configured to transmit the motion data tothe head-mounted device 112 via a wireless communications link. A gameor other application running on the head-mounted device 112 may thenutilize the motion data as user input.

The SPS transceiver 308 may also be included in the case 300. The SPStransceiver 308 may be connected to one or more antennas 342 forreceiving satellite signals. The SPS transceiver 308 may comprise anysuitable hardware and/or software for acquiring, receiving, andprocessing SPS signals. The SPS transceiver 308 requests information andoperations as appropriate from the other systems and performs thecalculations necessary to determine the position of case 300 usingmeasurements obtained by any suitable SPS algorithm. In one aspect, SPStransceiver 308 is coupled to control unit 310 to provide one or moreSPS measurements to the control unit 310.

Case 300 also includes a control unit 310 that is connected to andcommunicates with the wireless transceiver 302, the camera 304, themotion sensor 306, the SPS transceiver 308, and user interface 312, ifpresent. Control unit 310 may be provided by a processor 314 andassociated memory 320, hardware 316, firmware 318, and software 322.

The processor 314 may include one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, and/or digital signal processors that provideprocessing functions, as well as other calculation and controlfunctionality. The processor 314 may also include memory 320 for storingdata and software instructions for executing programmed functionalitywithin the case 300. The memory 320 may be on-board the processor 314(e.g., within the same IC package), and/or the memory may be externalmemory to the processor 314 and functionally coupled over a data bus324.

The case 300 may include an optional user interface 312 which providesany suitable interface systems, such as a microphone/speaker 334, userinput devices 336, and display 338. The microphone/speaker 334 may beutilized for voice communication services using the wireless transceiver302. In some examples, the head-mounted device 112 may include one ormore speakers of its own, but due to the compact form factor of thehead-mounted device 112 may include limited low-frequency audioresponse. Thus, in some aspects, the speaker 334 of case 300 may beconfigured to supplement the audio provided by the head-mounted device112, such as by operating as a subwoofer for the head-mounted device112. The user input devices 336 comprises any suitable buttons for userinput. The display 338 comprises any suitable display, such as, forexample, a backlit LCD or LED display, and may further include a touchscreen display for additional user input modes. In one example,microphone/speaker 334, user input devices 336, and display 338correspond to the speaker 226, user input devices 228, and electronicdisplay 224, respectively of FIG. 2C. In some examples, user inputreceived via the user input devices 228 may be utilized to trigger atleast one camera of the head-mounted device 112 to capture a video or aphoto. For instance, user input indicating that a user has pressed abutton may be transmitted by the wireless transceiver 302 over awireless communications link to the head-mounted device 112, where thehead-mounted device 112 then initiates the capturing of a photo orvideo.

FIG. 3A also illustrates case 300 as including a power supply 317coupled to an electrical connector 319. In some examples, electricalconnector 319 is a possible implementation of electrical connector 214of FIG. 2A. The power supply 317 may include one or more internalbatteries and as well as a regulator for regulating and/or convertingthe power from the internal batteries to be provided to the head-mounteddevice 112 via the electrical connector 319. In some implementations,control unit 310 is configured to detect when head-mounted device 112 isconnected via the electrical connector 319 and to initiate the chargingof the head-mounted device 112 by power supply 317 in response thereto.In some implementations, the electrical connector 319 may also beconfigured to transfer data to, and receive data from, the head-mounteddevice 112 for the establishment of a wired communications link betweenthe case 300 and the head-mounted device 112. Furthermore, the powersupply 317 may be coupled to the array 222 of FIG. 2B to receive powergenerated by the array 222 and to charge the internal batteries of thecase 300 and/or to supplement the power provided to the head-mounteddevice 112.

Control unit 310 may further include a calibration module 326, alocation module 328, a local database 329, an image management module330, and an application module 332. In some implementations, one or moreof the calibration module 326, the location module 328, the imagemanagement module 330, and the application module 332 may be implementedin hardware 316, firmware 318, processor 314 in combination withsoftware 322, or any combination thereof. For a hardware implementation,the respective module may be implemented within one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs),digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices(PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers,microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronicunits designed to perform the functions described herein, or acombination thereof.

Furthermore, processor 314, calibration module 326, location module 328,local database 329, image management module 330, and application module332 are illustrated separately for clarity, but may be a single unitand/or implemented in the processor 314 based on instructions in thesoftware 322 which are executed in the processor 314. The term processordescribes the functions implemented by the system rather than specifichardware. Moreover, as used herein the term “memory” refers to any typeof computer storage medium, including long term, short term, or othermemory associated with case 300, and is not to be limited to anyparticular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media uponwhich memory is stored.

As discussed above, with reference to FIG. 2A, in some implementations acalibration surface 216 may be included on one or more walls of thecase, which is then captured by a camera 113D of the head-mounted device112. In some examples, the calibration module 326 may then receive thecaptured image of the calibration surface via a communication linkestablished between the head-mounted device 112 and case 300 (e.g., viaa wireless communications link established by way of wirelesstransceiver 302 and/or a wired communications link established by way ofelectrical connector 319).

The calibration module 326 may be configured to analyze one or moreimages of the calibration surface, as captured by the head-mounteddevice 112, and determine calibration data for the calibration of one ormore cameras of the head-mounted device 112. In some examples, analyzingthe captured images includes detecting one or more of the registrationfeatures 218 and determining their relative positions. The calibrationmodule 326 may then transfer the calibration data to head-mounted device112 for the calibration of subsequent image acquisition by thehead-mounted device 112.

The location module 328 may be configured to determine one or moregeolocations of the case 300 based on information obtained from wirelesstransceiver 302, camera 304, motion sensor 306, and/or SPS transceiver308 utilizing one or more positioning techniques. For example, locationmodule 328 may be configured to determine a geolocation of the case 300based on SPS measurements of SPS signals acquired by SPS transceiver308. The local database 329 may be configured to store and update one ormore entries, where the entries indicate the geolocation of the case 300corresponding to when a communication link was established with thehead-mounted device 112. Accordingly, in some implementations, case 300may be configured to provide location services indicating a current orlast known location of the head-mounted device 112. For example, in someaspects, case 300 may receive a request for a location of thehead-mounted device 112. The request may be received from one or moreservers, such as servers 140, 155, 150, via an external network, such asnetwork 130 of FIG. 1 . In response to receiving the request, thelocation module 328 may retrieve a geolocation from the local database329 that corresponds to a location of the case 300 when a communicationslink was last established with the head-mounted device 112. Theretrieved geolocation may then be transmitted via the wirelesstransceiver 302 to the external network in response to the request.

The image management module 330 may be configured to receive images,video, or other media captured by the head-mounted device 112 and tostore them in memory 320 and/or to initiate their transfer to anexternal network (e.g., servers 140, 150, or 155 via network 130 of FIG.1 ).

As mentioned above, head-mounted device 112 may include limitedresources, such as limited memory and/or limited available wirelessbandwidth. Accordingly, image management module 330 may be configured tooffload images, video, or other media that are captured by thehead-mounted device 112. The image management module 330 may receive themedia via a wireless communications link (e.g., by way of wirelesstransceiver 302) and/or via a wired communications link (e.g., by way ofelectrical connector 319). In some implementations, the image managementmodule 330 stores the received media in memory 320. In anotherimplementation, the image management module 330 may initiate thetransfer of the received media to an external network (e.g., network 130of FIG. 1 ). Thus, in some aspects, case 300 may function as a gatewaybetween the head-mounted device 112 and an external network, which mayobviate the need for another intermediary device, such as a mobilephone. For example, FIG. 3B is a flow chart illustrating an exampleprocess 350 performed by a case, such as case 300. In a process block352, the case 300 receives at least one video, photo, or audio that wascaptured by the head-mounted device 112. In some examples, case 300 isconfigured to receive the media by way of a wireless communications linkvia wireless transceiver 302. In other examples, case 300 may receivethe media by way of a wired communications link via electrical connector319. Next, in process block 354, the case 300 stores the video, photo,or audio to memory 320. In a process block 356, the case 300 thenuploads the video, photo, or audio to an external network, such asnetwork 130 of FIG. 1 . In some examples, uploading to the externalnetwork is accomplished via wireless transceiver 302 and a correspondingwireless communications link such as communications link 123 or 125 ofFIG. 1 .

In some aspects, the image management module 330 is configured toreceive geolocation data from the location module 328 and to append thegeolocation data to the images or video as meta data. The additionalmeta data may be utilized, in some implementations, for thecategorization and/or storing of videos and photos.

In some examples, the wireless transceiver 302 may be configured toreceive the media (e.g., photo and/or video) from the head-mounteddevice 112 via a first radio access technology (RAT), such as Bluetooth,or other WPAN technology. The wireless transceiver 302 may then uploadthe media to an external network via a second RAT, such as Wi-Fi, orother WLAN technology.

In some examples, the image management module 330 may be configured toperform one or more image processing operations on the photos or videosprior to uploading to the external network. For example, the imagemanagement module 330 may apply one or more compression algorithms tothe images to reduce the required bandwidth. In another example, theimage management module 330 may present the media to the user via thedisplay 338 for preview. In some aspects, the image management module330 may receive user input via the user input devices 336 allowing theuser to modify the media. For example, modifying the media may includedeleting, tagging, selecting, and/or editing the media based on the userinput.

The application module 332 may be a process or an application running onthe processor 314 of the case 300. Applications typically run within anupper layer of the software architectures, and may include a setupapplication, a software update application, and so on. The setupapplication may be a process to aid the user in setting up thehead-mounted device 112. For example, the setup application may presentdirections and/or a user interface via display 338, allowing the user toset user preferences and/or configure the head-mounted device 112. Inanother example, a software update application may be configured toreceive one or more software updates from an external network (e.g.,network 130) and store the software update in memory 320. Once acommunications link is established with the head-mounted device 112, thesoftware update application may transfer the software update to thehead-mounted device 112 (e.g., via a wired communications link by way ofelectrical connector 319 and/or via a wireless communications link byway of wireless transceiver 302).

Any non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodyinginstructions may be used in implementing the processes or functionsdescribed herein. For example, program code may be stored in memory 320and executed by the processor 314. If implemented in firmware 318 and/orprocessor 314 with software 322, the functions may be stored as one ormore instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Examplesinclude non-transitory computer-readable media encoded with a datastructure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program.Computer-readable media includes physical computer storage media. Astorage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by acomputer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readablemedia can comprise RAM, ROM, Flash Memory, EEPROM, CD-ROM or otheroptical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storagedevices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired programcode in the form of instructions or data structures and that can beaccessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, includes compactdisc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD),floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce datamagnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope ofcomputer-readable media.

The above example of FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate a particular form factor forcase 202. In particular, case 202 is shown as having a body portion 204that includes four walls 206A-206D, which may be foldable into thearrangement shown in FIG. 2D. However, aspects of the present disclosureare not necessarily limited to the particular form factor of case 202.That is, a case, in accordance with aspects herein, may be configured ina variety of form factors other than those shown in FIGS. 2A-2D. Forexample, FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative form factor for a case 402,in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In the illustratedexample, case 402 in configured as a clam-shell case having a first wall406A and a second wall 406B, which together define an interior cavity408. In some examples, case 402 may include a power supply (notexplicitly shown in FIG. 4 ) and the electrical connector 214. Case 402is also shown as including the calibration surface 216 disposed on theinterior surface 410 of the wall 406A. Case 402 may also include one ormore of the components of case 300 shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example alternative form factor for a case502, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In theillustrated example, case 502 in configured as a pouch or sleeve casehaving a wall 506A that defines an interior cavity 508. In someexamples, case 502 may include a power supply (not explicitly shown inFIG. 5 ) and the electrical connector 214. Case 502 may also include thecalibration surface 216 disposed on the interior surface 510 of the wall506A (calibration surface 216 not explicitly shown in the current viewof FIG. 5 ). Case 502 may also include one or more of the components ofcase 300 shown in FIG. 3A.

In addition, a case for a head-mounted device, in accordance with theaspects described herein, may also be configured to support the chargingof one or more other electronic devices, other than just thehead-mounted device. For example, in some implementations, the formfactor of a case may be configured, such that a smart watch may bewrapped, affixed, or secured to an exterior of the case to charge thesmart watch with the included power supply of the case (e.g., powersupply 212). In another example, the interior cavity (e.g., interiorcavity 208) may be configured to receive and house the smart watch inaddition to the head-mounted device.

Embodiments of the invention may include or be implemented inconjunction with an artificial reality system. Artificial reality is aform of reality that has been adjusted in some manner beforepresentation to a user, which may include, e.g., a virtual reality (VR),an augmented reality (AR), a mixed reality (MR), a hybrid reality, orsome combination and/or derivatives thereof. Artificial reality contentmay include completely generated content or generated content combinedwith captured (e.g., real-world) content. The artificial reality contentmay include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof,and any of which may be presented in a single channel or in multiplechannels (such as stereo video that produces a three-dimensional effectto the viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, artificial realitymay also be associated with applications, products, accessories,services, or some combination thereof, that are used to, e.g., createcontent in an artificial reality and/or are otherwise used in (e.g.,perform activities in) an artificial reality. The artificial realitysystem that provides the artificial reality content may be implementedon various platforms, including a head-mounted display (HMD) connectedto a host computer system, a standalone HMD, a mobile device orcomputing system, or any other hardware platform capable of providingartificial reality content to one or more viewers.

The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention,including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention aredescribed herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications arepossible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in therelevant art will recognize.

These modifications can be made to the invention in light of the abovedetailed description. The terms used in the following claims should notbe construed to limit the invention to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the invention is tobe determined entirely by the following claims, which are to beconstrued in accordance with established doctrines of claiminterpretation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A case for head-mounted glasses, comprising: abody portion having one or more walls defining an interior cavity thatis configured to carry the head-mounted glasses, wherein the interiorcavity is configured with a size that enables at least partial operationof one or more cameras of the head-mounted glasses from within theinterior cavity, wherein the body portion is configured to receive thehead-mounted glasses into the interior cavity, wherein the body portionis configured to support the head-mounted glasses being removable fromthe interior cavity; a power supply included in the body portion fortransferring power to the head-mounted glasses; and a calibrationsurface included in at least one wall of the one or more walls andpositioned within the interior cavity to face the one or more cameras ofthe head-mounted glasses while the head-mounted glasses are positionedwithin the interior cavity, wherein the one or more cameras are disposedin a frame of the head-mounted glasses.
 2. The case of claim 1, whereinthe calibration surface is configured to be imaged by the one or morecameras to support calibrated subsequent image acquisition by thehead-mounted glasses.
 3. The case of claim 2, wherein the calibrationsurface comprises a calibration image adhered to or formed on aninterior surface of the one or more walls.
 4. The case of claim 2,wherein the calibration surface comprises one or more illuminationsources.
 5. The case of claim 4, wherein the one or more illuminationsources comprise a backlight for illuminating the calibration surface.6. The case of claim 4, wherein the one or more illumination sourcescomprise a light pipe for forming a calibration image.
 7. The case ofclaim 1, further comprising: at least one processor; and at least onememory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processorand the at least one memory being configured to direct the case to:receive at least one video or photo captured by the head-mountedglasses; and store the at least one video or photo in the at least onememory.
 8. The case of claim 7, further comprising an electricalconnector included in the one or more walls, wherein the at least onememory and the at least one processor are configured to receive the atleast one video or photo from the head-mounted glasses via theelectrical connector.
 9. The case of claim 7, further comprising: awireless transceiver coupled to the at least one processor, wherein thewireless transceiver is configured to receive the at least one video orphoto from the head-mounted glasses via a first radio access technology(RAT) and to upload the at least one video or photo to an externalnetwork via a second RAT.
 10. The case of claim 7, wherein the at leastone memory and the at least one processor are configured to perform oneor more image processing operations on the at least one video or photo.11. The case of claim 7, further comprising: one or more user inputdevices coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least onememory and the at least one processor are configured to modify the atleast one video or photo in response to user input received via the oneor more user input devices.
 12. The case of claim 7, further comprising:an electronic display disposed on an exterior surface of the bodyportion, wherein the electronic display is configured to present the atleast one video or photo.
 13. The case of claim 1, further comprising: awireless transceiver configured to establish a first wirelesscommunications link with the head-mounted glasses and a second wirelesscommunications link with an external network, wherein the case isconfigured as a hub for enabling communication between the head-mountedglasses and the external network.
 14. The case of claim 1, furthercomprising: a wireless transceiver configured to establish a wirelesscommunications link with the head-mounted glasses; and a motion sensorcoupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to generate motiondata that is representative of one or more movements of the case,wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the motiondata to the head-mounted glasses via the wireless communications linkfor remote control of the head-mounted glasses.
 15. The case of claim10, further comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to establish awireless communications link with the head-mounted glasses; and one ormore user input devices coupled to the wireless transceiver, wherein thewireless transceiver is configured to transmit user input received viathe one or more user input devices to the head-mounted glasses via thewireless communications link to trigger at least one camera of thehead-mounted glasses to capture a video or photo.
 16. A systemcomprising: head-mounted glasses that include one or more cameraspositioned in a frame of the head-mounted glasses; and a portable casefor carrying and physically protecting the head-mounted glasses, whereinthe portable case includes: a body portion having one or more wallsdefining an interior cavity that is configured to carry the head-mountedglasses, wherein the head-mounted glasses are at least partiallyoperable in the interior cavity of the body portion, wherein thehead-mounted glasses are removable from the interior cavity of the bodyportion; a power supply included in the body portion for transferringpower to the head-mounted glasses; an electronic display disposed on anexterior surface of the body portion, wherein the electronic display isconfigured to present at least one video or photo captured by the one ormore cameras; and a calibration surface included in at least one wall ofthe one or more walls and positioned within the interior cavity to facethe one or more cameras of the head-mounted glasses while thehead-mounted glasses is are positioned within the interior cavity. 17.The system of claim 16, wherein the calibration surface is configured tobe captured by the one or more cameras to support calibrated subsequentimage acquisition by the head-mounted glasses.
 18. The system of claim16, wherein the portable case further comprises: a wireless transceiverincluded in the body portion, wherein the wireless transceiver isconfigured to establish a wireless communications link with thehead-mounted glasses.
 19. A system comprising: head-mounted glasses thatincludes: a frame; one or more temple arms; one or more near-eye opticalelements; and one or more cameras; and a portable case for carrying andphysically protecting the head-mounted glasses, wherein the portablecase includes: a body portion having one or more walls defining aninterior cavity that is configured to carry the head-mounted glasses,wherein the head-mounted glasses are at least partially operable in theinterior cavity of the body portion, wherein the head-mounted glassesare removable from the interior cavity of the body portion; and acalibration surface included in at least one wall of the one or morewalls and positioned within the interior cavity to face the one or morecameras that are positioned in the frame of the head-mounted glasseswhile the head-mounted glasses are positioned within the interior cavityof the portable case.
 20. The system of claim 19 wherein thehead-mounted glasses further comprising: at least one processor; and atleast one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the atleast one processor and the at least one memory being configured to:receive at least one video or photo captured by the one or more cameras;and store the at least one video or photo in the at least one memory.